Valve stem bending tool



Aug. 28, 1951 R'. K. BOYER ET AL VALVE STEM BENDING TooL Filed Feb. 16, 1949 Patented Aug. 28, 1951 VALVE STEM BENDING- TOOL Ralph K. Boyer, Lakewood, and Harry W. Krohn,

Jr., Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The Dill Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 16, 1949, Serial No. 110,641

(Cl. SIe-) 1 Claim.

This `invention relates to a bending tool which has particular utility in connection with the 'bending of valve stems that are used on the pneumatic tires of motor vehicles, although, of course, its utility is not coniined to this use.

The tool of the present invention is susceptible of use where it is desired to accurately and readily form an angular bend in a normally straight member. However, since the tool has particular utility in connection with the bending of valve stems of pneumatic tires it will be described herein in that connection.

As is well understood in the art the usual valve stem of pneumatic tires for motor vehicles includes an elongated tubular stem portion on one end of which is a head which is arranged within the inner tube of the tire. The tubular portion is usually exteriorly threaded adjacent the head so that a so-called spreader plate may be held by means of a nut or other member in clamping relationship with the head to clamp the tire tube between it and the head. The opposite end of the tubular portion of the stem is usually interiorly threaded to enable valve insides to be screwed into the stem.

In many installations the valve stems may be straight stems. However, in other types of installations as, for instance, on dual wheels, such as are used on motor busses and trucks, it is necessary to employ long and angularly bent Valve stems so that the outer ends of the stems containing the Valve insides will be accessible for inilating the tires. The usual practice is to furnish straight stems which may be bent by the user as the necessity arises.

An object of the invention is to provide a bending tool which is simple in construction and may be easily and efficiently operated.

A more speciiic object is to provide an improved, novel and efficient tool for bending the valve stems of pneumatic tires when it is necessary to form a straight stem into a bent stem for a particular installation.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinbefore set forth will become apparent hereinafter during the detailed description of an embodiment of the invention which is to follow.

vReferring to the accompanying drawing illu-strating said embodiment,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the bending tool with a straight valve stem positioned therein preparatory to its being bent.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the bending tool shown in Fig. l, the valve stem being indicated by dot and dash lines.

Fig. 3 is a partial side elevational and secs tional View of the tool shown in Fig. 1 but with the parts moved from the position of Fig. 1 into the valve stem bending position, the valve stem being indicated in this view as having been bent, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The bending tool comprises a handle A and a handle B. These handles at the ends adjacent to each other are o'f fork-shaped conguration with the forked end of the handle B extending between thespaced arms or tines of the forked end of the handle A. Although the handles A and B may be constructed in various ways a preferred form is illustrated in the drawings. In this form the handle A preferably consists ci .two elongated metal straps having handle portions i!) which are in contact with each other and are rigidly interconnected by suitable means, preferably by spot welding, although, of course, screws, rivets or other means might be employed. The metal straps forming the handle A are provided with integral divergent portions II, angularly disposed with respect to the handle portions I0 and from these divergent portions (I extend the spaced elongated arms I2 substantially parallel with the handle portions IU and forming the forked end of the handle A. The arms I2 at their outer or right hand ends as viewed in the drawing are provided with aligned openings I 3 for a purpose later to be explained.

The handle B also is formed of a pair of metal straps having handle portions lil similar to the handle portions IIJ of the handle A and secured together in the same manner. The handle B includes angularly disposed divergent portions I5 extending from the handle portions lli and spaced straight portions I6 forming the forked end of the handle B; the portions I5 and I6 of the handle being similar to the portions II and I2 of the handle A.

lt will be noted that the portions I6 of the handle B are spaced apart a smaller distance than are the arms I2 of the handle A and this distance is such that the arms I6 can extend between the arms I2 of the handle A. The arms I6 of the handle B at their outer or left hand end as viewed in the drawing are provided with aligned openings I1 adapted to register with the openings I3 in the arms I2 of the handle portion A. The arms I6 a predetermined distance to the right of the openings II are pro vided with aligned openings I8.

The arms I2 of the handle A have secured thereto an anvil member which comprises spaced legs I9 that straddle the arms I2 and are secured thereto by spot welding or other suitable means. The anvil member also includes a cross strap 20 which preferably is integral with the legs I9 and overlies the arms I6 of the handle B. The legs I9 of the anvil member are provided with aligned openings 2l that register with the openings I3 in the arms I2 of the handle A and the openings lI in the arms IB of the handle B.

A mandrel roller 22 is mounted between the free ends of the arms I6 of the handle B by means of extended pins 23 on the opposite ends of the mandrel roller 22 and which pins project through the openings I1 in the arms I6.

Preferably the mandrel roller 22 is mounted between the arms I6 of the handle B before the handle portions I4 thereof are secured together. Likewise the arms I2 of the handle A are positioned so that the pins 23 extend through the openings I3 in the end of the arms I2 prior to the handle portions I of the handle A being secured together. Then the legs I9 of the anvil member can be positioned in straddling relationship to the arms I2 and with the pins 23 extending into the openings 2| in the legs. Thereafter the legs I9 can be permanently7 secured to the arms I2.

The arms I of the handle B also mount a grooved roller 24 which at its opposite ends have projecting trunnion pins 25 extending into the openings I8 in the arms IB and journalling the roller between the arms. It will be understood that the grooved roller 24 likewise is mounted between the arms I6 before the handle portions I4 of the handle B are parmanently secured together.

From the foregoing description it will have been noted that the tool is formed of simple parts, namely, metal straps plus the mandrel roller 22 and the grooved roller 24 and that all of the parts can be easily and efliciently assembled thus providing for expeditious and economical manufacture of the tool.

Suitable washers 26 are on the pins 23 of the mandrel roller and are interposed between the arms I2 of the handle A and the arms I6 of the handle B. The manner in which the tool functions in the bending of a valve stem will now be explained.

A straight valve stem 21 having at one end the usual head 28 is passed downwardly between the mandrel roller 22 and the grooved roller 24 when the tools are in the relationship shown in Fig. 1, it :being understood that the handles A and B are pivotally interconnected by `the pins 23 of the mandrel roller 22. The groove in the roller 24 is of such size and shape as to receive substantially half of the circumference of the valve stem 21 as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. At this time the Valve stem 21 is spaced slightly from the mandrel roller 22 while the base 28 of the stem rests upon the cross strap 20 of the anvil member' and so supports the stem that the bend to be imparted thereto will be located outwardly of the threaded portion 29 of the stem and which is adjacent to the base 28.

4 The user of the tool can now form a bend in the straight stem of the desired angularity by pivotally moving the handles A and B downwardly toward each other the `proper amount as.

Yfor instance, by moving the handles from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3. This movement of the handles causes the roller 24 to roll along the stem and since the mandrel roller is at the axis ofthe pivotal movement of the handles it forms a reaction point engaged by the stem and imparts the desired bend in the stem. The bend imparted to the stem will be on the proper radius due to the cylindrical configuration of the mandrel roller 22.

It will be noted that not only is the tool of simple construction which may be readily and cheaply manufactured, but also it can be easily operated for the forming of bends in valve stems, particularly since the handles A and B are of such length as to provide substantial leverage.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of `the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

A tool for bending valve stems and the like which comprises a pair of handles each formed of a pair of metal straps having contacting handle portions xedly secured together and spaced substantially parallel arms forming forked ends on the handles, the forked end of one handle extending into the forked end of the other handle, said forked ends of said handles being provided with aligned openings, a bending mandrel roller mounted between said arms of said one handle and provided at its opposite ends with pins extending into the openings of the spaced arms of |both handles and pivotally interconnecting said handles, the spaced arms of said one handle being further provided with aligned openings spaced longitudinally of the arms from said mandrel roller, a grooved roller journaled in said last named openings, and a metal anvil member comprising spaced parallel legs straddling the arms of the other handle and secured to the exterior thereof and a cross strap integral with said legs and adapted to support the valve stem base and extending across the forked end of said one handle above the grooved roller carried thereby, said legs having openings concentric with the pins of the bending mandrel roller, the stem portion proper of the Valve stem being adapted to extend between said mandrel roller and said grooved roller.

RALPH K. BOYER. HARRY W. KROHN, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,824,026 Little s Sept. 22, 1931 1,879,869 Breer Sept. 27, 1932 1,902,881 Morgan Mar. 28, 1933 

